Chiefs rookie LT Josh Simmons makes honest admission about his ‘butterflies’ for Week 1, but he also knows the cure for them
Kansas City Chiefs rookie LT Josh Simmons knows the secret to beating “butterflies” surrounding his first regular-season start in Week 1.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their preparations on Sunday, August 31, for their Week 1 international game against the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil.
Speaking to reporters during his media availability, Chiefs rookie LT Josh Simmons admitted to what should surprise no one. He’s a little bit nervous for his NFL regular-season debut. That’s to be expected when you know the expectations attached to playing football in Kansas City, on the back of three consecutive Super Bowl appearances. It’s also to be expected when you know that you’ll have the whole world watching you next Friday.
The good news is that Simmons, in his experience, knows the exact counter to “butterflies.”
“They’re there,” Simmons admitted. “But I think you can cancel those out with preparation. So, that’s what I’m about to get ready to do.”
Being prepared was a significant theme for Simmons on Sunday. When asked by FOX 4 Kansas City’s Harold R. Kuntz about what he had been told regarding getting ready for Week 1, he again preached the gospel of preparation.
“Just be prepared,” Simmons said. “(The Chargers are) a great team. Obviously, we are. So, it’s just about, kind of just putting, like I said, the preparation in. And, you know, taking that to Brazil.”
How does he prepare outside of the classroom and practice? It boils down to film study, which is something the rookie has been working to hone since his days at Ohio State. There he watched “a lot” of film on his defensive opponents.
“Yeah, a lot you had to, just because Ohio State always got somebody’s best game,” Simmons said. “So, we just kind of had to always prepare for anything. So yeah, just definitely had to watch a lot of tape.”
The Chiefs are similar in the sense that, just like Ohio State, they’re always getting the best shot from their opponents. Simmons says that his film study has increased “times two.” He knows that everything is upgraded and kicked up a notch in the NFL, so his preparation has to be as well.
Chiefs LT Josh Simmons sets goals for Week 1 vs. the Chargers
Simmons insisted that he had to take his preseason success with a grain of salt. Despite surrendering no pressures in all of the snaps he played, Simmons knows that the only thing he can truly evaluate from preseason play is his own technique, given the varying levels of competition he faced.
As he looks ahead to the Week 1 matchup against the Chargers, he’s set a few goals for himself that he’s out to prove.
“First, I want to do my job,” Simmons said. “I want to make sure my teammates can count on me. But then it’s just more, just technique. You know, if you’re always in the right spot at the right time, it can definitely get you a lot of (one-on-one) blocks.”
Simmons will have his work cut out for him in Week 1 with a Chargers D-Line group that features Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree. It only gets tougher from that point, so it should be a good litmus test for the rookie.
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